Bombardier has a solution to airplane passenger woes. On its spacious, fuel-efficient CSeries airplane, everyone can bring a carry-on. Plus, seats are wide, the cabin is quiet, and windows and washrooms are large. But, as Bombardier has learned, that hasn’t been enough for a quick take-off or soaring sales. Bombardier initially aimed to have 300 firm orders by the time it was certified for commercial service in early 2016, but it wasn’t until earlier this year that it surpassed its goal, with 360 orders reported in June. However, 75 of those were from Delta Air Lines, an order that was thrown into doubt last week, when the US Department of Commerce announced it was imposing a preliminary tariff of 220% on the CSeries. <br/>
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The US Air Force and the nation's regional airlines have discussed developing a joint "National Training Academy" to help address a pilot shortage playing out across the USA. "We have got to work together so we can help each other," says genereal Carlton Everhart, commander of the USAF Air Mobility Command. The concept would be to create a school that provides pilots with advanced simulator training, and for that training to count towards the FAA's requirement that new commercial pilots have 1,500h of flight time. Currently, simulator training does not specifically count toward the 1,500h threshold. Regional airlines for several years have criticised the 1,500h rule as limiting the pool of available pilots. To meet the threshold, many pilots must accumulate additional hours after flight training, an expensive proposition. <br/>
First Alitalia, then Air Berlin and now Monarch Airlines: Europe's struggling carriers are falling like dominoes and the region's biggest airlines are set to chalk up bigger profits. The collapse of airlines gives rivals a chance to snap up planes, prized airport slots and much-needed pilots. It takes airplane seats out of the market, allowing airlines still flying to nudge prices higher and lift some of the pressure on yields that has plagued the industry for several years. The shake-out this year is also seen as the start of more far-reaching industry consolidation that is expected to whittle the number of European airlines down to numbers more on a par with North America - putting the survivors in a position to boost profitability to levels seen across the Atlantic. <br/>
Airlines in the Middle East have the potential to make US$1.3b in extra revenues by 2035 by offering high quality and reliable inflight internet connectivity, capitalising on passenger demand for constant connectivity. According to research from the London School of Economics in association with Inmarsat, inflight broadband has the potential to generate $30b in additional revenue for airlines around the world by 2035. Of those $30b, airlines in the Asia Pacific would benefit the most, with an expected $10.3b of additional revenues. They are followed by European airlines (with $8.2b in revenues), and North American carriers (with $7.6b). "Globally, if airlines can provide a reliable broadband connection, it will be the catalyst for rolling out more creative advertising, content, and e-commerce packages," said the report's author. <br/>